Amusement Park Rides During Pregnancy

Question:

"My friends and I are planning our annual summer trip to an amusement park. Will it be safe to go on the rides if I'm 17 weeks along in my pregnancy when we go?"

You're already having the ride of your life (it's called pregnancy) — but if that's not enough to satisfy your sense of adventure, here's the scoop on the amusement park variety. There's no need to skip your day at the park (or at the county fair), but you might want to consider keeping it more chill, less thrill. Even early in pregnancy, moms-to-be need to exercise a bit of discretion when it comes to rides. Which means that instead of hopping on those knuckle-whitening, gravity-defying rides that send you zero to 60 in three and a half seconds, you'd be smart to stay in the slow lane (think Dumbo, not Death Mountain). Or opt for spending more time trying your luck in the arcade (that'll get you out of the hot sun) or game booths (you may come home with a stuffed giraffe for the baby's room!).

Why the extra caution? Although there isn't a scientific consensus that roller coasters and other high-speed rides are harmful during pregnancy, they haven't been proved completely safe, either. It's wise to avoid their rapid starts and stops and jarring motions, which could put an excessive amount of pressure on your abdomen (not to mention the nauseating rides that could make anyone hurl — something an expectant mom certainly doesn't need any extra help with). That's why parks and fairs display warning signs next to their bolder rides, advising pregnant women (and anyone with back or neck problems) not to ride them. You might even want to pass on some rides that seem relatively slow-paced, such as the Ferris wheel — not only can it have jerky motions, but in the unlikely event it got stuck, you wouldn't want to negotiate an emergency exit from on high with your less-than-perfect balance. In fact, any ride that requires a moving entry or exit, or navigation up or down a lot of steps, could prove tricky these days, no matter how tame it seems.

The bottom line is that you should pay attention to the park's warning signs on thrill rides, but when in doubt about any ride it's best to play it safe and sit it out. There will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy the rides again next year (you'll just need a volunteer to mind the baby for you!) and over and over again a couple years from now with your child. Besides, isn't pregnancy action-packed enough on its own?

By the way, if you already went for a spin on the Corkscrew Coaster, there's no reason to panic — but mention it to your practitioner to be perfectly safe. It's always a good idea to keep him or her "up to speed" on what you've been doing.

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